The present invention relates to novel detergent compositions. In particular, it relates to liquid detergent compositions which exhibit relatively low ocular and skin irritation and yet exhibit high foam volume and improved foam stability resulting in good cleansing characteristics.
Detergent compositions, like most types of liquid cleaning agents, generally comprise a mixture of one or more surfactants as the active ingredient, perfumes, coloring agents, thickeners, and the like. The surfactants normally used in such compositions have two portions: (1) a hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain miscible with organic materials and (2) a hydrophilic end-group miscible with water. When such a surfactant contacts a particle of soil, the hydrocarbon chains mix therewith and the hydrophilic end-groups are presented to the aqueous solution. This process of emulsification allows the soil, which otherwise would resist removal by the water, to be cleaned from the body thereby. These surfactants may be classified as anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric, depending upon the character of the end-groups.
It is highly desirable that liquid detergent compositions exhibit high foam volume and stability which result in good cleansing characteristics. Often, however, when compositions with such characteristics are formulated, they are not mild and result in a high incidence of ocular and skin irritation which are undesirable, particularly when utilized by children. Other desirable characteristics of liquid detergent compositions are good "slip" and easy rinsability. "Slip" can be defined as the ability to easily spread over the area desired to be cleansed.
Attempts to achieve compositions with such desirable characteristics are well documented in the art, see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,055,836; 3,280,179; 2,999,069; 3,928,251 and the like, but these attempts have usually failed to achieve the desired results. When good cleansing compositions were formulated, they tended to result in high ocular and skin irritation and when such compositions exhibited low ocular and skin irritation they tended not to be good cleansing compositions.